2015–16 DFB-Pokal
The 2015–16 DFB-Pokal was the 73rd season of the annual German football cup competition. Sixty-four teams participated in the competition, including all teams from the previous year's Bundesliga and the 2. Bundesliga. It began on 7 August 2015 with the first of six rounds and ended on 21 May 2016 with the final at the Olympiastadion in Berlin, a nominally neutral venue, which has hosted the final since 1985. The DFB-Pokal is considered the second-most important club title in German football after the Bundesliga championship. The DFB-Pokal is run by the German Football Association (DFB).
| Tournament details | |
|---|---|
| Country | Germany |
| Venue(s) | Olympiastadion, Berlin |
| Dates | 7 August 2015 – 21 May 2016 |
| Teams | 64 |
| Final positions | |
| Champions | Bayern Munich (18th title) |
| Runner-up | Borussia Dortmund |
| Europa League | Mainz 05 |
| Tournament statistics | |
| Matches played | 63 |
| Goals scored | 189 (3 per match) |
| Attendance | 1,312,984 (20,841 per match) |
| Top goal scorer(s) | Henrikh Mkhitaryan (5 goals) |
| Goals scored in penalty shoot-outs not included. | |
The defending champions were Bundesliga side VfL Wolfsburg, after they beat Borussia Dortmund 3–1 in the previous final on 30 May 2015. They were knocked out of the competition in the second round by record title-holders Bayern Munich, losing 1–3. The Bavarians ultimately progressed to the final where it defeated Borussia Dortmund 4–3 on penalties, as the match finished 0–0 after extra time, to win their eighteenth title, and third in four years.
The winner of the DFB-Pokal earns automatic qualification to the 2016–17 UEFA Europa League group stages. However, as Bayern Munich already qualified for the UEFA Champions League via their league position, Mainz 05, the sixth placed team in the 2015–16 Bundesliga took this Europa League place, and Mainz's Europa League third qualifying round spot went to Hertha BSC. As Bayern Munich won the Bundesliga and DFB-Pokal, completing a double, Borussia Dortmund, the runners-up of the Bundesliga will host the 2016 DFL-Supercup.